When you think of a human, you probably think of somebody who is more or less like you.
But when Wikipedia volunteers faced the question of what image to use as their main picture on the site's 'Human' article, they couldn't merely upload an image from their webcam.
The page, which details facts about our own species in the most general terms, instead shows at the top an image of a rural couple from Thailand's indigenous Akha people.
This is us: The rural couple from northern Thailand's Akha hill tribe who are the main picture on Wikipedia's article on the 'human', which has been the subject of fierce debate as to its suitability
But critics have questioned whether the picture is actually most representative of 'human', given the range of circumstances and attributes associated with our species.
There have even been accusations that the choice has more to do concerns for political correctness than choosing an image which best fits the subject it is intended to illustrate.
It appears though that there is good reasoning behind the choice, and the decision was taken following lengthy debate between the site's volunteer editors.
More...
Early human ancestors were 'aquatic apes': Living in water helped us evolve big brains and walk upright, scientists say
Growing old on Facebook: Search data reveals we talk more about the weather and politics as we age
Is this really human? DNA tests on six-inch skeleton of 'alien-looking' creature with over-sized head prove it was actually human claim scientists in new documentary
The main article image on the Human article on Wikipedia shows a couple from Thailand's Akha people, a hill tribe indigenous to the country's less-developed north.
They are standing with their backs to a verdant valley, their faces are expressionless and they are wearing plain, functional farmers' clothing.
The man carries the stem from a banana tree that will be fed to his family's pigs.
Main picture: Where the image appears on the Wikipedia page which details facts about our own species in the most general terms. Critics have questioned whether the picture is actually most representative of 'human'
A Quora thread was started by one member of the question and answer community who recently asked why Wikipedia would choose this specific picture to describe 'human'.
The questioner asks: 'I mean, are there no images that would better symbolise or be more representative of the species and its characteristics?'
The top-voted answer by Todd Gardiner, a photographer from Seattle, points out that Wikipedia's editors had already had a long and at times heated debate regarding the suitability of the picture.
At least one editor had suggested that the picture should show a 'modern' couple, such as an image of an 'industrial American business man and woman' who would represent 'the height of human progress'.
Another claimed that this pinnacle of human achievement would be best represented by photos of the moon landings. The suggestion was dismissed because the images show the space suits, but not really the humans within.
Others claimed that prior discussions had concluded that the engraving on the plaques on the Pioneer spacecraft should be used, which show figures of an apparently white and Western man and a woman intended to be seen by any alien life they come across.
'Height of human progress': Some of Wikipedia's editors suggested that a Western-style businessman would be more fitting for the page's main image, while others said the lunar landings would show how far we've come
There even accusations that the use of the image of the Akha couple was a 'pathetic and bureaucratic attempt at portraying modern humanity' since most humans now live in urban areas.
'Let's face it: the only reason this picture is here is because nobody wants to be deal with the inevitable charge of racism for using a much more suitable photo of a white or European person,' wrote Wikipedia editor F33bs.
And there were even claims, summarily dismissed, that the image was sexist since it places 'the male ahead of the female'.
For ET: The engraving on the plaques on the Pioneer spacecraft, which show figures of an apparently white and Western man and a woman and are intended to be seen by any alien life they come across
After all the debate, editors finally concluded that the picture of the Akha couple is 'just about perfect' because it shows 'average' humans.
They decided this because most people are not white-skinned, nor black, but in fact are a varying shade of brown; most people are from Asia which, with about 4.2billion inhabitants, is host to 60 per cent of the human population; within Asia, the most numerous group are East Asians, the region from which the portraits subjects hail.
Taking into account criticisms that most humans were now living in cities, Wikipedia editor Martin Hogbin pointed out that most people 'throughout history' have been farmers, although an updated image could show a pair of factory workers.
Further, most people throughout history have been male or female, with very few exceptions, Mr Hogbin explains, while most people have also been 'pretty poor, but not shockingly poor'.
Thus it was decided to leave the photo as it stands.